Curriculum

Banchory Primary School runs an Active Literacy Program in school. For more information about Active Literacy please click the link below.Active Literacy

The Scottish Government have recently published a leaflet explaining how the Curriculum for Excellence approach benefits your child. For more information click on the link belowGreat Learning in Scotland

In Banchory Primary School we aim to give our children a wide range of enjoyable and challenging experiences to help them become the best they can be.

Our teaching and learning is firmly grounded in a Curriculum for Excellence (aCfE) and the Four Capacities, which empowers children to become Successful Learners, Confident Individuals, Responsible Citizens and Effective Contributors.

Curriculum for Excellence
Curriculum for Excellence has now been introduced across Scotland for all 3 –18 year olds – wherever they learn.

Principles for Curriculum DesignSchools and learning communities in Aberdeenshire apply the principles for Curriculum Design that are drawn from National advice but reflect our unique Aberdeenshire context.

Those principles are:

Challenge and enjoyment in learning

Breadth of learning

Progression in learning

Depth of learning

Personalisation and choice e.g. in how to present learning

Coherence (with other areas of learning)

Relevance of learning

Curriculum EntitlementsThe following entitlements are also provided for all pupils in Aberdeenshire Schools:

·A coherent learning experience

Experiences in health and well-being

Cultural experiences

Environmental experiences

Vocational experiences

Creative and enterprising experiences

(In Aberdeenshire Schools this includes a strong focus on learning In, About and Through the environment i.e. outdoor learning.)

Learners are provided with a broad, balanced set of experiences designed around the curriculum areas of:

Expressive arts

Languages and Literacy

Mathematics and Numeracy

Health & Wellbeing

Religious and moral education

Sciences

Social studies

Technologies

The core curriculum consists of Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Well-Being.
These subjects permeate all other curricular areas and attainment and achievement in these areas are continually scrutinised and reviewed annually by the school to ensure standards are maintained or improved.

Learners are given opportunities to develop skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work with a continuous focus on:

Enterprise and Creativity

Citizenship and International Education

Literacy

Numeracy

Health & Wellbeing

Sustainable Development

Information Communication Technology (ICT)

School PoliciesSchool and authority policies are currently being reviewed and updated to reflect Curriculum for Excellence requirements. Please contact the school office, on 01330-823351, if you would like more information about current school or authority policies.
See Nursery Handbook for Nursery Curriculum and pupil choice information

The Curriculum for Excellence is structured into different levels.

Early – The pre-school years and P1, or later for some.

First – To the end of P4, but earlier or later for some.

Second – To the end of P7, but earlier or later for some.

Third – S1 to S3, but earlier for some.

Fourth – broadly equates to Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level 4.The fourth level experiences and outcomes are intended to provide possibilities for choice and young people’s programmes will not include all of the fourth level outcomes.

Senior phase – S4 to S6, and college or other means of study.

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Educational VisitsWe offer various educational visits during the course of the school year. We believe that ‘hands on’ experiences greatly enhance a child’s education, while also helping to make the necessary links between learning in school and life outwith the school. Staff members and parent volunteers provide supervision to standards laid down by Aberdeenshire Education Learning and Leisure. We give parents as much notification as possible with regard to visits that affect their child.

Primary 7 pupils have the opportunity to go on a 4 day residential trip. This usually takes place in term 1 and has a focus on team building, physical activity ad p[ersonal challenge.

Learning and TeachingOur teaching methods recognise and reflect that each child is an individual with their own aspirations and aptitudes. We aim to develop each child to their full potential. We use a variety of teaching methods to cater for a range of learning styles.

We believe in active learning for all pupils at all stages with children fully engaged in thinking. In promoting active learning, we recognise the importance of ensuring that learning is stimulating and challenging – rich learning experiences.

We make full use of the local environment, including local businesses. Our aim is to make learning relevant and meaningful and to promote enthusiasm for life-long learning.

Not all pupils do the same work at the same time; within any class the teacher will regularly allocate tasks that are set at different levels of difficulty. The aim is to challenge all pupils but at the same time give them work that is within their capabilities so that each child experiences success.

There are circumstances when all pupils in the class are given the same task. In these circumstances teachers will look for and accept different levels of outcome based on their knowledge of the individual child’s strengths.